Mat's family, Star readers thank Mick Fanning for donation

UPDATE 2.55pm: READERS of The Northern Star have titled Mick Fanning a "top bloke" for stating he will donate the $75,000 given to him for appearing on 60 Minutes last night to Ballina shark attack victim Mat Lee.

Mr Fanning was on 60 Minutes to talk about his close call with a shark in South Africa, and declared he would donate the funds received for the appearance to Mr Lee, who remains at the Gold Coast University Hospital after being bitten by a great white shark at Ballina's Lighthouse Beach early last month.

Readers of The Northern Star took to Facebook to applaud Mr Fannings' generosity.

Newscorp reported Mr Fanning had hoped to see Mr Lee in hospital as part of the 60 Minutes segment, but the Mr Lee had to go in for more surgery and the visit had to be cancelled.

Mr Fanning had another close call with a shark during filming with 60 Minutes.

https://twitter.com/wsl/status/622757113131970560

As part of the segment, Channel 9 was filming Mr Fanning at Hastings Point, going out for his first time since his encounter with a great white J-Bay Open World Surf League event, when the surf star spotted another shark.

"We were sitting on there and then we sort of looked and we just saw a tiny little fin," Mr Fanning said back on the beach.

"You wouldn't believe it - yeah, I swear to God. ... It was a full shark, hey."